As the climax approached last night in a very English sort of pub - all frothing beer, overflowing ashtrays and thatched wishing wells - there was only one phrase on everybody lips: "Go Shelley!" Locals were 10 deep at the bar and it was standing room only on the pool table. Traffic on the supporters' website increased tenfold. A wag had added to the village welcome sign in Pewsey: "Home of Shelley Rudman."

Modern Britain's greatest sporting successes are often achieved in the most obscure disciplines. There was curling (gold Salt Lake City 2002), yingling (gold Athens 2004) and pursuit cycling (gold Athens 2004). Yesterday, in Italy, it was the women's bob skeleton, propelling a hi-tech version of a tea tray at up to 80mph down an icy track. And with it Shelley Rudman, a classroom manager from Wiltshire, to Britain's first medal - a silver - at this year's winter Olympics.

At the Moonrakers pub in Pewsey, better known in these parts for its carnival than its winter sports, the locals were analysing her performance, using with abandon terms like form, shape and G-force to work out how Rudman had pulled off one of the sporting performances of the year. The commentary for Shelley's first "slide", as the locals now know to call it, was drowned out by cheers and shouts. A minute later the 24-year-old was at the bottom of the mountain, a tantalising fraction of a second outside the medals in fourth place. "She was pretty neat but she usually goes better second time out," said Colin Harris at the bar. "If she can just improve her start ... who knows?"

Rudman got that better start the second time out and was in first place - with three to go. Strangers were hugging and kissing, children were crying. She could still be bumped out of the medals.

Every time split as the next two competitors sped down the mile-long track was greeted with groans or cheers. She was still in first place, guaranteeing her a silver medal as the final competitor set off. Gold proved to be out of her reach - but, no matter, the beer and tears flowed for Pewsey's first Olympian since 1948 when the local footballer Bill Amor played on the wing for Great Britain.

And they were enjoying their part in Rudman's success, for without their efforts, she may well not have been at the games. In typical British fashion, villagers had baked cakes, rattled tins and held raffles to make sure Rudman, who has lived in the village all her life, had the equipment and training to give it a go at the Olympics. In all £4,000 was raised, which made all the difference to her preparations.

There, propping up the bar with a pint of stout, for example, was Mr Harris, who with his friend Emma Dainton (2003 carnival queen of Pewsey and All Wiltshire) took part in a 12-hour sponsored canoe ride to raise cash. They earned £3,000. "I reckon we helped pay for the runners on her sled and her helmet," he said. At his elbow was Mick Hunter, a member of the Pewsey Hasbeens sporting club. The Hasbeens - motto: the older we get the better we were - raised money at their annual gentleman's evening. They may have paid for that bit of extra training which allowed Rudman shave a few seconds off her time.

Some of the lads from the fire station who organised a sponsored car wash were around, as were the cake-bakers, raffle-holders and tin-rattlers.

Over their pints last night, schoolfriends recalled with nostalgia her fighting spirit when she took them on at Pewsey Vale school. She loved beating the boys at football and running. And when she went on a school skiing trip when she was 13, her first taste of alpine sport, she beat the boys there as well.

Then four years ago while she was a student at Bath University, nurturing ambitions of being a 400m hurdler, a friend on the British bob skeleton team took her to the training facility - an artificial track 100 metres long. She was hooked, began training seriously and rose up the rankings.

But she suffered a setback when she was turned down for lottery funding after being disqualified on a technicality in a World Cup event.

In stepped the locals at the Moonrakers with Mr Hunter (50, football fan) and Mr Harris (65, rugby man, former police officer) founding the Shelley Rudman Supporters' Group.

"It was the sense of injustice which got us going," Mr Hunter said. "She clearly had potential but was not getting the funding she needed. We were determined to give her a chance."

If the Moonrakers can take it, more excitement is expected today when Rudman's boyfriend, Kristan Bromley, who also lives up the road, competes in the men's event. If he gets a medal, the villagers are promising to build a bobsleigh run on Pewsey Hill.